Bottle-closure.



F. R. BONN 61 B. D4 HAMILL BOTTLE CLOSURE.. APPLICATION man NOV. 6. m3,

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

3110041 9028 FE B 071/70 ,E ,Z7-Hwm1 I).

L mam/55 mmm liquids under pressure,

FRANK R. BONN AND BENJAMIN D. HAMILL, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

BOTTLE-CLOSURE.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. Ml, 11915.

Application filed November 6, 1913. Serial No. 799,560.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK R. BONN and BENJAMIN D. HAMILL, citizens of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Closures, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to bottle stoppers, and has as its object to provide a stopper which will be free from certain disadvantages possessed by the ordinary-cork or glass stopper.

More specifically, the invention relates to a stopper or closure for bottles or other con tainers which may be applied to the outside of the neck of the same and which may be easily and quicklyapplied and removed and which will be sanitary. Incidentally, the invention contemplates the provision of a stopper or closure of this type adapted particularly for application to bottles or containers containing charged liquids, or and which when ap-- plied, will resist a considerable internal pressure.

It is also one object of the .invention to provide a stopper or closure which while especially designed for use in the manner above pointed out, will also be adapted for ulse in connection with milk or cream bott es.

It is well known that many liquids, such as soda water, mineral water, beer, and so forth, are more or less highly charged with gas, and it is desirable and necessary to have a stopper which may be applied to the bottles containing such liquids after the bottles have been opened or when originally bottled for the purpose of preventing the escape of the gas with which the liquids are charged. It is also well known that milk and cream are readily contaminated by impurities both solid and gaseous, and it is therefore, desirable that a closure should be provided for milk and cream bottles which may be easily and quickly applied; which will be sanitary, and which will hermetically seal the bottles.

The inner surface of the neck of the ordinary bottle is as is well known of considerably less area than the outer surface and is invariably smooth while the-outer surface is ordinarily more or less corrugated. Furthermore, the inner surface is nearly always wet or moist while the outer surfaceis usually dry, and from this it willv be readily apparent that in the use of the ordinary cork stopper its surface contacts with a minimum friction area which is smooth, and ifwet, cannot retain the stopperif there is any considerable internal pressure. The ordinary cork stopper presents the disadvantage that when removed from the bottle and placed upon any surface or allowed to fall to the floor, it will come in contact with and retain any impurities which may be upon such surface, which impurities are liable to be transmitted tothe contents of the bottle when the stopper is again inserted in the mouth thereof.

In view of the foregoing, it is the object of the present invention to provide a stopper consisting essentially of a rigid cap or body having a flexible or elastic lining. Such a stopper engaging as it does the larger outside frictional area of the bottle neck, which is usually more or less dry, may with little efi'ort be applied so that 1t will resist any considerable internal pressure, inasmuch as that surface of such a stopper which comes in contact with the bottle or its contents is, in fact, the inner surface of the stopper, such surface is protected against contamination even if placed upon an unclean surface.

' For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure '1 is a perspective View of the stopper embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the stopper applied to a bottle having one form of neck; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating the stopper applied to a bottle having another form of neck- Fig. is a perspective View illustrating a slight modification of the invention.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The shell is closed at one end, as indicated at 2, and as illustrated is of frusto-conical form. its minor end-being its closed end, and its major end being open.

The shell 1 is provided 3 which is preferably which is of rubber or other elastic or com-- .that the lining may relatively thick and pressible material. The lining 3 is fitted snugly within the shell 1 and has an end portion 4 seating against the closed end 2 of the said shell. The lining is of such dimensions that its open or major end registers with the major end of the shell, and in order be maintained in place within the shell, the latter at its major end is formed with an integral inturned flange 5 which, though relatively narrow, serves to cooperate with the major end edge of the lining in such a manner as to securely maintain the lining in place. As stated above, the flange 5 is relatively narrow, and in fact'it is of a width less than the thickness of the lining 3, so that its inner peripheral edge terminates short of the margin of the inner surface of the lining or, in other words,- short of the inner margin at its major end. The flange 5 will ordinarily be found to serve efiectually to maintain the lining in place, although, if desired, the lining may be cemented or otherwise secured within the shell.

In using the stopper embodying the. present invention, it is fitted to a bottle neck in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, and it will be apparent by refer ence tosaid figures that the lining being elastic and compressible will form itself about and beneath the ribs upon the neck of bottle.

For example, the ribs upon the bottle necks I shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are indicated respectively by the numerals 6 and 7, and it will be observed that when the stopper has been fitted onto these necks, the said ribs will press into the lining, and the lining below the ribs will fit into the grooves of the necks of the bottles, resulting from the formation of the beads. In fact, the lining embraces and contacts with practically the entire'exterior surface of the neck from the upper end thereof to a point co-incident with the lower or open end of the stopper, and owing to the fact that the contacting surfaces are of greater area than would be the case if the ordinary stopper were employed, the stopper embodying the present invention will be held more securely in place and the escape of gas from the bottle and the contamination of its contents will be more efiectually, prevented.

of the wall of the lining Furthermore, the present invention is fitted to the exterior of the neck, it may be more readily and'conveniently removed and applied. The stopper embodying the present invention if tapered to about the degree shown in the drawings will be adapted for closing soda bottles, beer bottles, various forms of whisky bottle's, and in fact practically any bottle having a relatively small neck, and the fact will, of course, be appreciated that the principles of the invention may be embodied in a stopper having other dimensions, whereby it may be adapted for use upon milk bottles or the like which have relatively wide necks.

In that form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the body or shell .1 of the stopper has fitted upon and secured to 'its minor end a cap 8 formed with an integral upstanding lip 9, the end portion of which is overturned as at 10 in the direction of the upper side of the said cap, the lip being located at the margin of the cap. When so equipped the sto per embodying the present invention may be employed for the purpose of removing the crown caps from beer bottles, soda water bottles, and the like, the overturned end of the lip being arranged between the edge of the crimped crown of the cap and the stopper being then rocked to serve the purpose of a lever.

Having th'us described the invention, what is claimed is A bottle stopper comprising an outer shell of nonelastic material inwardly tapered and closed at its minor end and open at its major end, the said shell at its last mentioned end having its edge portion turned inwardly to form an annular inwardly projecting flange,

FRANK R. BONN.

BENJAMIN D. HAMILL.

Witnesses:

J. S. FARRINe'roN, G. F. MCALLISTER. 

